Swimming pool construction

ABSTRACT

An adjustable swimming pool having a floor which can be raised and lowered to either provide a uniform depth or a variable depth. Jacks are distributed beneath a platform constituting the apparent bottom of the pool and are arranged for operation in unison or in groups to adjust the platform position and attitude.

United States Patent Gansloser 1 51 June 20, 1972 [54] SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION [72] Inventor: Emil Gansloser, Grazer Strasse 26, Han- 3,553,743 1/1971 Lodige .,4/l72.l3 2,928,103 3/1960 Turner ..4/1 72. l 3 2,970,320 2/1961 Karp ..4/l72. I 3 3,092,844 6/1963 Brunson ..4/ 172. 13

Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-Wilson & Fraser [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT June 25, 1969 Germany ..o 69 25 223.9 An adjustable Swimming Pool having a floor which can be raised and lowered to either provide a uniform depth or a vari- 52 us. 01 ..4 172.13, 248/163 able depth Jacks are distributed beneath a Platform consiiwh 51 Int. Cl. ..E04h 3/16, E04h 3/18 ing the apparent bottom of the p and are arranged for [58] Field of Search ..4/172.11, 172.14; 248/163 Operation in unison or in groups to adjusl the plaifvrm P09 tion and attitude.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 3,413,661- 12/1968 Ross ..4/172.13-

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INVENTOR EMIL. GANSLOSER ATTORNEYS SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to swimming pools and more particularly to pools having an intermediate floor which can be adjusted in height.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Swimming pools can be provided with floors which can be adjusted in height andattitude and respect to the true bottom of the receptacle forming the pool to accommodate varioususages according to this invention. Advantageously the position of the platform or intermediate floor can be adjusted by means of four lifting devices disposed symmetrically about the center of the intermediate floor. Intermediate floors of the above type have been developed to permit a wider variety of usage of swimming pools. In this manner it is possible to adjust the required depth of the swimming pool, so making it usable firstly as a learners pool and small covered pool for non-swimmers, children and the disabled, and secondly for swimmers.

The embodiment mentioned above with four lifting devices is the type of intermediate floor most commonly used in practice.

An object of this invention is to improve the intermediate floor of the type described so that a stable positioning thereof is ensured even on failure of one of the lifting devices.

According to the invention this object is achieved in that the contact surfaces of the lifting devices on the intermediate floor lie above the plane running through the center of gravity of the intermediate floor parallel to the floor surface.

r If for instance one of the four lifting devices fails during adjustment of the intermediate floor height, then practically the entire load is supported by the two diagonally disposed and still operating lifting devices. But this alone is insufficient to maintain the floor in a stable position. This requirement is only met by positioning the contact surfaces of the lifting devices in accordance with the invention, since in any tilting movement of the intermediate floor caused by the defective lifting device, the tilting moment caused by gravity, (acting about the diagonal between the two opposite supports which are still working), will return the floor to its initial position. This construction also permits a reduction of the total height of the mechanism.

Another object is to improve the coupling of jacks to platforms particularly as applied to adjustable pool floors.

This object is achieved with spherical contact surfaces of the lifting devices which cooperate with correspondingly formed bearing surfaces on theintermediate floor. This gives a pendulum bearing, requiring no bracing, of the intermediate floor on the four lifting devices.

In order to provide effective sealing for the receiving pits when hydraulic piston and cylinder units are used as lifting devices, it is desirable that the piston and cylinder units be affixed in the swimming pool floor with sealing flanges. This prevents water from the pool being forced into the pits and also prevents ground water reaching the pool.

If in an intermediate floor in accordance with the invention the bearing surfaces on the floor comprise cover plates for through apertures provided in this intermediate floor and with a cross-section exceeding that of the lifting devices, the latter can be readily installed and extracted without the necessity for heavy auxiliary equipment. The cover plates can also be designed so that they form a hygienically satisfactory and flat surface with the surface of the intermediate floor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through an intermediate floor in accordance with the invention incorporated in a swimming pool;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the intermediate floor in FIG, 1;

FIG. 3 is the portion III from FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The platform or intermediate floor l in accordance with the invention and as shown in FIG. 1 is incorporated in a.

swimming pool 2 and is supported by four lifting devices 3, 4, 5, 6 disposed symmetrically about its center (see FIG. 2), whereby the floor 1 can be adjusted in level. As in this embodiment, the lifting devices 3-6 may comprise standard,

hydraulically operable cylinder and piston units. They pass through corresponding apertures in the true bottom or base plate 2' of the swimming pool 2 and terminate in pits, e.g. 7 and 8 which are formed below the base plate 2 to receive part of the lifting devices. 7

The contact surfaces, e.g. 5a and 6a of the lifting devices 3-6 against the intermediate floor 1 lie above the plane E running through the center of gravity S of the intermediate floor 1 and lying parallel to the floor surface 1', so that the-intermediate floor l maintains its stable position during use, even if one of the lifting devices fails. Thus if lifting device 3. becomes defective and the intermediate floor 1 drops somewhat in the vicinity of this lifting device, the tilting moment of the floor 1 about the diagonal formed by the lifting devices 4 and 5 urges the floor 1 back to its original position.

The intermediate floor 1 is provided in the area of the contact points of the lifting devices 3 and 6 with through apertures 9 and 12 whose v cross-section exceeds that of the lifting devices. The lifting devices can be passed through these apertures for installation. Each of these through apertures 9 and 12 is bounded by a support shell, e.g. l3 and 14, inset in the floor l and provided with end flanges. The lower end flange is flush with the underside of the intermediate floor 1, while the thicker end flange at the top has a distance from the top of the intermediate floor such that the upper edge of the cover plate (15 and 18) disposed thereon runs flush with the upper edge of the intermediate floor l. The cover plates, e.g. 15 and 16 are affixed to the end flanges by cap screws 19 and form the bearing surface, e.g. 17a and 18a, for the intermediate floor 1. The contact surfaces, e.g. 5a and 6a, of the lifting devices 3 and 6 form parts of spherical surfaces which cooperate with the correspondingly shaped bearing surfaces, e.g. 17a and 18a.

The cylinder and piston units 3 and 6 which constitute the lifting devices have sealing flanges comprising flanges e.g. Sb and 6b. The corresponding apertures in the pool bottom or base plate 2' for the lifting devices are also provided with flanges, e.g. 20 and 21 to which the lifting device sealing flanges can be screwed, so providing a seal through which no swimming pool water can enter the pits, e.g. 7 and 8 and no ground water can enter the swimming pool 2.

The intermediate floor 1 for the swimming pool can be made of various suitable materials. In the embodiment shown it is of reinforced concrete. This for instance makes the intermediate floor 1 especially corrosion-resistant, and its high weight permits the use of simple upwardly operation and rugged cylinder and piston units which are forced away by the weight of the floor. The cover plates 15 and 18 for the apertures 9 and 12 may comprise steel plates whose upper surface is coated with plastic.

The floor surface 1' of the intermediate floor 1 can be adjusted as desired into a horizontal or sloping position, and its height can be adjusted either horizontally or with a slope. The base of the pool itself may also be inclined to the horizontal.

What we claim is:

1. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool, which can be adjusted in height by means of four lifting devices disposed beneath the surface and symmetrically about the center of the intermediate floor, characterized in that the lifting devices engage the intermediate floor at a location above the plane running through the center of gravity of the intermediate floor parallel to the floor surface; and including means engaging each of said lifting devices with said intermediate floor, having universal motion around the vertical position of the lifting devices; and means to adjust the height of each lifting device, whereby the intermediate floor can be adjusted to a horizontal or a sloping position and can be adjusted in height.

2. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 1. including contact surfaces for engagement of the lifting devices with the intermediate floor which are parts of spherical surfaces on said lifting devices and the bearing surfaces on the intermediate floor cooperating with said contact surface are correspondingly shaped to provide the universal motion 3. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 1, characterized in that the lifting devices comprise hydraulically operable piston and cylinder units.

4. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 3, characterized in that the cylinder and piston units are afiixed in the floor of the swimming pool with sealing flanges.

5. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 2,

characterized in that said intermediate floor has through apertures in registry with said lifting devices having a cross-section exceeding that of the lifiing devices, and cover plates for said through apertures, said bearing surfaces on the intermediate floor being formed on said cover plates, and having a crosssection exceeding that of the lifting devices.

6. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 5, including a support shell inset into each through aperture in the intermediate floor and end flanges for said support shell.

7. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 6, including cap screws to affix the cover plates forming the bearing surfaces to the upper end flange of the support shell.

8. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate floor consists of reinforced concrete, and the cover plates comprise steel plates.

i I i l l 

1. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool, which can be adjusted in height by means of four lifting devices disposed beneath the surface and symmetrically about the center of the intermediate floor, characterized in that the lifting devices engage the intermediate floor at a location above the plane running through the center of gravity of the intermediate floor parallel to the floor surface; and including means engaging each of said lifting devices with said intermediate floor, having universal motion around the vertical position of the lifting devices; and means to adjust the height of each lifting device, whereby the intermediate floor can be adjusted to a horizontal or a sloping position and can be adjusted in height.
 2. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 1, including contact surfaces for engagement of the lifting devices with the intermediate floor which are parts of spherical surfaces on said lifting devices and the bearing surfaces on the intermediate floor cooperating with said contact surface are correspondingly shaped to provide the universal motion
 3. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 1, characterized in that the lifting devices comprise hydraulically operable piston and cylinder units.
 4. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 3, characterized in that the cylinder and piston units are affixed in the floor of the swimming pool with sealing flanges.
 5. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 2, characterized in that said intermediate floor has through apertures in registry with said lifting devices having a cross-section exceeding that of the lifting devices, and cover plates for said through apertures, said bearing surfaces on the intermediate floor being formed on said cover plates, and having a cross-section exceeding that of the lifting devices.
 6. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 5, including a support shell inset into each through aperture in the intermediate floor and end flanges for said support shell.
 7. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 6, including cap screws to affix the cover plates forming the bearing surfaces to the upper end flange of the support shell.
 8. An intermediate floor for a swimming pool as in claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate floor consists of reinforced concrete, and the cover plates comprise steel plates. 